615 Jones St., Grand Ledge, MI  48837  |  Phone: 517-925-5480  |  Fax: 517-925-5483
Holbrook Website  | COVID Reporting

School hours are 8:55am-3:55pm.  Please do not drop students off before 8:40am. Students must be picked up by 4pm.

October 10, 2025

October Celebrations
October is a month of significant celebration and awareness at our school as we honor Hispanic Heritage Month, Bullying Prevention Month, and Disability Awareness Month. Throughout the month, we will engage students in activities that recognize and celebrate the rich contributions of Hispanic culture. This week, many students and staff throughout the district participated in spirit week complete with jerseys, flowers, familia, and bright colors! We will also focus on bullying prevention, teaching our students the importance of kindness, empathy, and the power of standing up against bullying to create a safe and supportive environment for everyone. Additionally, Disability Awareness Month will encourage discussions about inclusivity and acceptance, helping our students understand and appreciate the strengths and abilities of all individuals. Together, these themes will promote a culture of respect, understanding, and unity within our school community. 

Important Halloween Info
Holbrook staff and students that choose to celebrate Halloween will do so on Friday, October 31. If your family participates in Halloween celebrations, we ask that you please keep our costume guidelines in mind, as we believe that the following will promote a fun, positive climate to the afternoon’s activities:
*Costumes promoting violence, blood, indecency, or involving weapons are not allowed.
*Be original, creative, and/or funny!
*Costume masks are allowed, but there is not enough staff or time to help with make-up. 
*Students must be able to get into their costumes with minimal assistance. 

The school "Halloween day" is mostly a typical school day, with academics and a regular schedule in the morning and afternoon until the parade at 2:00pm and class parties following. As such, please send your child’s costume to school in a manner that will allow your child to put it on over their school clothes. Here at Holbrook, we strive to meet the needs of each student. If your student(s) will not be participating in the costume parade, please communicate this with your teacher so we can make proper arrangements. 

We welcome guests to view our outdoor costume parade down the sidewalk of Jones St and on Green St (toward our bus loop entrance) at 2:00pm! If the weather does not permit an outdoor parade, we will alter the parade route and keep it indoors. Holbrook is requesting to reserve the classroom party time as a time for your student to enjoy with their peers. 

Lastly, your child's classroom teacher will communicate with you on specific donations or needs for classroom Halloween parties. We always welcome the donation of children's costumes.

Kat Farr, Principal

We are excited to host a Math Night on Thursday, October 16th! Families will have the opportunity to rotate through 15-minute math sessions, with 5 minutes in between to move from room to room. 

If you'd like to join us, please RSVP your family (one slot per each member of your family) for each session you would like to attend!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4AAEAA2EAAFDC16-59348013-holbrook#/

October’s School Counseling Lesson: Bystander Power
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. To further help our school be a safe and respectful place, this month’s school counseling lesson will focus on the power of the bystander. Research shows that changing how bystanders react is a powerful way to reduce bullying. In this lesson’s skill practice section, students learn ways bystanders can help stop bullying.

At Home Practice: What Can I Do?
Bystanders have the power to stop bullying by standing up for others, reporting or helping report bullying, and including others. Help support your child’s learning this month by helping them think of some things he or she can do or say to help stop bullying. Use the sentences below to help guide your conversation.

*If I see and hear my friends whispering mean things about a classmate behind her back all the time, I will…

*If I see an older kid picking on a younger kid on the bus, I will…

*If I see two of my classmates not letting another classmate sit at their lunch table every day, I will…

*If the kids I play with at recess never let another classmate play on the playground equipment, I will…

Please get involved in making our school a safe and respectful place by letting us know if you hear about bullying at our school. Make sure your child knows to tell you or someone at school if he or she is being bullied. And give your child the clear message that it is never okay to bully others.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
To access local resources visit the Tri-County Community Health Guide.
To access social-emotional learning resources for home, visit Holbrook’s school counseling website.
To book a phone appointment with Mrs. Conner, visit Mrs. Conner’s booking page.

Daily Choice » Blueberry Muffin with Yogurt, String Cheese & Goldfish
Mon., Oct. 13 » Popcorn Chicken
Tue., Oct. 14 » Personal Cheese Pizza
Wed., Oct. 15 » Mac & Cheese with breadstick
Thu., Oct. 16 » French Toast Sticks & Sausage
Fri., Oct. 17 » Chicken Sandwich

Students who bring lunch from home may purchase milk for $0.50 if they choose.

Please note that students do not have access to a microwave for lunch.

SAVE THE DATE!  The Scholastic Book Fair will return to Holbrook in one month!  The Book Fair will be held the week of parent-teacher conferences (November 10 - 14).  Watch the newsletter in the coming weeks for additional details!

The next PTO meeting of this school year, will be held tonight, Thursday, November 6, 2025. All meetings are held in the Holbrook Library at 6pm. There is a virtual option to attend posted on the PTO Facebook page the day of the meeting. Any staff member, parent, guardian, caregiver or grandparent of a student at Holbrook is automatically a member of the PTO at no cost or obligation. Even if you do not have a lot of time to volunteer, there are many ways to help contribute to the PTO.

PTO meetings will be on the first Thursday each month, unless otherwise scheduled ... 11/6, 12/4, 1/8, 2/5, 3/12, 4/9, 5/7, 6/4.

We are accepting nominations for the following PTO Board positions until noon on 11/5/25: Treasurer and Events Coordinator. Please email president, Alysiah Mitchell-Wallace at amitchellwallace@gmail.com to nominate yourself if you are interested. We need your help to keep the PTO running and excelling! 

Please like and follow the Holbrook Elementary PTO Facebook page for PTO updates and volunteer opportunities .

It’s spooky season! Our annual Boogram fundraiser will be starting next week!! Your child can send a friend a spooky treat, or you can send one to your kiddo! Order forms are being sent home! 

Order & Delivery Schedule:
Mon-Fri 10/13-17 → Delivery: Fri 10/17
Mon-Fri 10/20-24 → Delivery: Fri 10/24
Mon-Fri 10/27-31 → Delivery: Fri 10/31 (Happy Halloween!)

Thank you to all who participated in our dinning fundraiser this week with Red Robin!! We would love feedback on how you like those types of fundraising opportunities!! 

Attendance Reporting
There are several ways to report an absence at Holbrook. When using any of the options below please include the following information; Child's full name, teacher and the reason for their absences. We keep track of all illness for the Barry-Eaton Health Department.  If your child is going to be tardy please let us know what their choice for lunch is before 9:15 am. Thank you!
1. The fastest way is using the online portal at ps.glcomets.net. Once you have logged in, select “Attendance Monitor” from the left navigation menu. Then, click “Report New Attendance.” After you have entered the date, reason, and explanation, click Submit. Please note: online attendance reporting is not available in the app; it is only available on the website.
2. Email hirschmana@glcomets.net or edgettt@glcomets.net.
3. Call the main office at 517-925-5480. Feel free to call anytime day or night and if you need to leave a voicemail message, please include your student's full name, teacher and the reason for the absence.

Update Contact Information
Do you need to update contact information (email, address, name, emergency contacts, etc. for you, your child, or people associated with your child? Please visit www.glcomets.net/ourschools/holbrook-elementary.

Student Drop Off/Pick Up
When dropping off your child in the drop off line, please make sure your student is able to exit the vehicle themselves with their belongings, otherwise please park and walk them to the crosswalk.

Late Arrivals
If your student is going to be late and needs school lunch, you must call the office by 9:15am to order lunch for them.

Medication Drop Off
If your student will require medication during the school day, you will need to provide the proper paperwork.  All medications must be turned into the office by an adult.  This includes over the counter medications, any ointments, and cough drops.  Medical paperwork can be found on the district website under Parent Resources Medical Paperwork

Blessings in a Backpack
If your student needs additional food at home, the Grand Ledge Blessings in a Backpack program is here. For over a decade, this program has provided bags of food for weekend meals at no cost to hundreds of students in the Grand Ledge area. For students attending school in-person, a bag of nourishing, kid-friendly food will be placed discretely in their backpack or locker at the end of each week during the school year (except during school breaks.) Examples of some of the food items distributed are: macaroni and cheese, canned vegetables, soup, oatmeal, granola bars, fruit cups, and beef ravioli. If you would like your student to participate in the program, please fill out the permission form that went home or request one from the office.  Return the form to the school office by Wednesday, September 11th, for your student to receive the first bag on September 19th.

Lost and Found
The lost and found is located near the gym in playground vestibule. If your student is missing something, please have them check the lost and found. Labeling clothing/items will also help us to return things to students.

Need Hats or Gloves?
Please call the office (517-925-5480) and let us know.  We have a supply of donated items that we'd love to get to your child if needed.

End of the Day Changes
If you need to change end of the day plans for your student, please contact the office prior to 3pm so proper notes can be delivered to classrooms. Thank you so much!!

Illness Reminders
We ask that your child be 24 hours free of fever (without fever reducing medications), vomiting or diarrhea before you send them back to school after they have been out sick.  We appreciate your cooperation with this!

Covid Reporting
To report a positive Covid case, please complete the Covid Reporting Form.

Need Shoes or Boots?
The Old Newsboys Association of Greater Lansing is a nonprofit charitable organization whose sole purpose is to provide footwear to needy school children. This includes well fitting school shoes, warm boots and socks. For, assistance and to obtain a request for footwear form, please contact our office (hirschmana@glcomets.net).

Change of Clothes
Please send in a change of clothing with your student to be left in their locker. Students have spills during lunch or get muddy/wet on the playground. The office supply of clothing is very limited and students are often more comfortable in their own clothing.

Student Birthday Treat Policy
Student birthday treat policy will be up to each individual classroom teacher. Communicate clearly and often with your student’s families regarding your specific policy so they know your expectations. Keep in mind that not all students celebrate birthdays, and not all birthdays are positive for students. Also be sure to be mindful of allergies. Food must be store bought & prepackaged. Encourage healthy snacks at all times.

Raptor Visitor Management System Starting
Grand Ledge Public Schools will continue using the Raptor Visitor Management System to enhance the safety of our school buildings. The Raptor system will better allow us to screen school visitors, providing a safer environment for our students and staff.  School visitors will be screened during the school day before being allowed to leave the main office and enter the school building. School visitors will be asked to present a valid, government-issued photo ID (such as a driver's license), and it will be scanned or manually entered into the Raptor system. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of the visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary to drop off an item in the main office or to pick up paperwork from there.

Volunteering & Chaperoning
Persons wishing to volunteer for Grand Ledge Public Schools are required to complete the Volunteer Registration Form and be approved prior to serving as a volunteer.  All volunteers MUST check in at the office to receive a BADGE prior to proceeding to any other area on school property.  Please visit District Volunteer Application to complete the process.  If your student will be moving to a different school next year, be sure to select both their current school and the school they’ll be attending.  For example: If your child is currently in 4th grade at Holbrook and will attend Hayes next year, select Holbrook and Hayes on the application. This ensures you’ll be cleared to volunteer at both locations when needed. Applications are valid for one calendar year.